Principal Software Engineer, CDN (Starlink)

SpaceX•Redmond, WA

1d•$260,000 - $345,000

About The Position

SpaceX is hiring a Principal Software Engineer for Starlink’s CDN team. The team is building scalable distributed systems to support future Starlink offerings as the service grows to reach users and customers worldwide. The role involves designing, building, and scaling a new content delivery network, along with the systems and tools needed to operate and optimize it.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, or another STEM discipline and at least 10 years of professional software development experience; alternatively, 12 or more years of software development experience in lieu of a degree.
Software development experience in C, C++, or Rust.
At least 5 years of professional distributed systems experience, or experience designing, building, and scaling a CDN system.
At least 7 years of professional networking experience.
Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as needed.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in computer science or engineering.
Professional experience working on complex networking systems across layers 0–7.
Experience with edge networking, DNS, traffic management, caching, load balancing, SSL/TLS, DDoS protection, and/or monitoring.
Knowledge of network topology, numerical optimization techniques, graph theory approaches, or convex optimization.
Experience developing, debugging, and deploying scalable software used in real-world applications or projects.
Creative problem-solving approach, exceptional analytical skills, and strong engineering fundamentals.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work effectively in a dynamic environment with changing needs and requirements.

Responsibilities

Design, build, and scale a new content delivery network (CDN) for Starlink.
Build robust, responsive, and scalable distributed systems.
Build tools, visibility, and alerting mechanisms to diagnose, operate, and maintain complex, business-critical systems in real time.
Design algorithms to understand and optimize hardware utilization and cost efficiency against business-critical performance metrics.
Implement systems that shape traffic across multiple CDNs.
Participate in and lead architecture, design, and code reviews.
Develop prototypes and manage experiments to validate future design concepts and use cases for Starlink.

Benefits

Potential eligibility for long-term incentives, including company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards.
Potential discretionary bonuses.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan with the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount.
Comprehensive medical coverage.
Vision coverage.
Dental coverage.
401(k) retirement plan.
Short- and long-term disability insurance.
Life insurance.
Paid parental leave.
Various other discounts and perks.
Up to three weeks of accrued paid vacation.
Ten or more paid holidays per year.
Five days of sick leave per year for exempt employees.